Jollibee to open its first branch in Manhattan, NYC on Oct. 27

The Filipino chain is bringing its widely beloved Chickenjoy and other fast food offerings to Manhattan later this month, launching on Oct. 27 at 8am.

The official Facebook page of Jollibee USA posted a video earlier today showing the Jollibee mascot gasping and pumping his fists at the sight of the soon-to-open branch at 609 Eighth Avenue.

Technically, this is not Jollibee’s first foray into the city that never sleeps. It first opened its doors to New Yorkers in Woodside, Queens — a neighborhood with a large Filipino-American population — in 2009.

However, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for the fast-food joint domestically. In May, Jollibee was tagged by the Department of Labor and Employment as one of the companies with the highest number of contractual employees — an employment practice that is illegal in the Philippines.

As the company’s sketchy labor practices came to light, some Filipinos asked consumers to boycott the restaurant.